THE TRON KIRK OF EDINBURGH.
The Tron Kirk of Edinburgh, or Christ's Kirk at the Tron: Rev. Dr. James Macgregor contributes a chapter of reminiscences to this very interesting volume. He was minister of the Trots Parish in the later " sixties," and, referring to his introduction to his charge, he writes; "The pariah to which I was inducted was unique in many ways—in its history, as this book clearly shows, unique as being in the heart of the city and the smallest parish in Edinburgh and as being, in the words of my first Pastoral Letter, ' one of the blackest spots on earth.' It was a dense block of buildings intersected by lanes so narrow that the tall houses almost touched each other, leaving a mere chink through which the heavens were seen. It would have been difficult to find anywhere an equal amount of filth, ignorance, and crime within an area equally small." Yet when Defoe visited Scotland he "
thought that the High Street of Edinburgh, on which the Tron Kirk stands, was the stateliest street in the world ; and it was
said of the Cowgate that there was nothing in it that was "humble or rustic, but all was magnificent." In many respects the Tron Parish is the most famous in Scotland. Situated between the Castle and Holyrood Palace, it was the abode of the nobility of Scotland ; and some of the innumerable closes, courts, and wynds within it will be for ever associated with such names as Erskine, George Buchanan, Allan Ramsay, Hume the historian, Jenny Geddes, and many others. In chap. 13 Dr. Butler settles conclusively that John Ruskin's grandfather was an Edinburgh merchant, and had his place of business a little to the west of the present Tron Kirk. This fact is all the more interesting because Ruskin himself in his " Praeterita" wrote "Of my father's ancestors, I know nothing." The 'Pron Kirk got its name from its proximity to the public weighing-beam, called the Salt Tron "to dia. tinguish it from the Butter Tron or Weigh-House," • which stood further up the street. The Tron not only weighed merchandise, but it was also used as a publio pillory ; those found guilty of cheating and swearing falsely, dic., being " nailed to it by the lug." The Kirk was began in 1637. There are some facts which stand out in its history. After the battle of Dunbar it is probable that Cromwell himself preached in it. When Prince Charles Edward returned to Holyrood from Prestonpans, he gave full liberty to the ministers of the Edinburgh churches to continue their duties on the following Sunday, "provided' that in the prayers for the Royal Family no names should be specified." Mr. Hog, a lecturer in the Tron, alone availed him- self of this permission, though a suburban clergyman, the Rev..
Neil MaeVicar, prayed as usual for King George by name, and added "And as for this young man who has come among us seeking an earthly crown, we beseech Thee, that he may obtain what is far better, a heavenly one !" Prince Charles enjoyed this story when it was related to him. In 1824 the "great conflagra tion" took place, in which the old Dutch steeple of the Tron was destroyed. The Lord President, the Lord Advocate, and the Lords of Session all manfully assisted in quenching the fire. For Many years the citizens of Edinburgh have brought in the New Year round the Tron Kirk with real Scottish seasonable jollification.'
But this custom is happily dying out. There are many excellent illustrations of scenes in Old and New Edinburgh and of church plate, and many portraits. Dr. Butler deserves much con- gratulation on the excellence of his volume.
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